Best Seats For NBA Finals Seeing Unusually High Demand On Secondary Market

Foreign-born players such as Ginobili (l) and Parker (r) are driving int'l interest

The least expensive tickets for the Spurs-Heat NBA Finals starting tomorrow night "were still available ... hours after going on sale" yesterday, but "prices for precious floor seats are going through the roof," according to Clark Spencer of the MIAMI HERALD. Miami-based ticket broker White Glove Int'l President Michael Lipman said that ticket demand from int'l buyers is "high due to interest in" Spurs Gs Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, "two top foreign-born players." Lipman said, "Usually the Spurs are a bad draw for us. But I’m getting slaughtered from professional athletes -- people with relationships with those guys -- from around the world. I just sold some courtsides for $17,500." When the Heat put tickets on sale to the general public at 2:00pm ET yesterday, prices "ranged from $155 for standing room only up to $890 for those in the lower section." Lipman said, "It’s probably going to be about a $200 to $250 ticket for upper level on Thursday. And Sunday, watch out. They could go up to $400 and $500" (MIAMI HERALD, 6/5). In N.Y., Mitch Lawrence writes NBA Commissioner David Stern is "one lucky outgoing commissioner." In his NBA Finals "swan song, Stern gets to host the best showdown the NBA can possibly have." Sterns gets "the perfect goodbye" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/5).

SEVENTH HEAVEN: The late-night talk shows last night all made reference to the Heat's Game 7 win over the Pacers. CBS' David Letterman said, "My Indiana Pacers got beaten by the Miami Heat. ... Wasn't much of a game. At halftime -- and this is one of those things where if you watch enough basketball you pick up on little things like this -- I knew it was over when the Pacers come back out after halftime and they had changed into their street clothes" ("Late Show," CBS, 6/4). ABC's Jimmy Kimmel said, "It was a great series, except for the last game, which wasn't. But I think really what hurt the Pacers was Justin Bieber, who was there distracting them, rooting for the Heat in one of the most ridiculous outfits ever assembled" ("Jimmy Kimmel Live," ABC, 6/4). NBC's Jay Leno: "How many of you saw 'Game of Thrones' on Sunday? Did you watch that? Oh, my god! Oh, my god! People can't stop talking about this. The show ended with a huge massacre. That's two massacres I saw this week, if you count the Heat-Pacers game" ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 6/4).